Sgt. La David Johnson’s unit was returning from recon mission during deadly Niger attack, top U.S. general says

Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, was one of four U.S. soldiers killed Oct. 4, 2017 in an ambush attack in Niger. (U.S. Army)

The U.S. special forces unit ambushed by Islamic militants in Niger didn't call for help until an hour into their first contact with the enemy, the top U.S. general said Monday, revealing some new details about the ambush that claimed the life of Army Sgt. La David Johnson and three others.

The soldiers were attacked outside a West African village when their unit drew fire on its way back from a reconnaissance mission, said Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Dunford said about 50 members of an ISIS-affiliated group ambushed about a dozen members of the unit, which waited a full hour before calling for support after a mission that initially was deemed relatively safe.

"They did not expect resistance on this particular patrol, at least when they first planned it," Dunford said at a Pentagon news conference.

A survivor of the ill-fated mission said they were inundated with machine guns, mortars and grenades as they left the village of Tongo Tongo, according to an ABC News report.

Johnson fought valiantly to save his unit by grabbing "any and every weapon available to him," said the survivor, who was not immediately identified.

The fallen soldier opened fire on their assailants from a pickup truck mounted with a machine gun, before brandishing a sniper rifle, the survivor told ABC.

"This guy is a true war hero," the source said. "I really want his wife and kids to know that."

Final goodbyes at the funeral of Army Sgt. La David Johnson

The unit had accompanied 30 Niger troops from the capital city of Niamey and was returning to its operations base when it came under fire near the village, Dunford said. When the shooting finally stopped, there were four American soldiers killed, and two wounded and evacuated.

Dunford offered no explanation about why the unit waited an hour to call for backup. He speculated that they may have thought they could handle the situation on their own. He said that "within minutes" after the unit called for assistance, a U.S. drone was moved into position overhead, providing surveillance and full-motion video. Johnson was killed along with Staff Sgts. Bryan Black, Jeremiah Johnson and Dustin Wright.

Johnson's body was not recovered until two days later.

Local forces in Niger helped the U.S. military locate Johnson's body a mile from where the clash broke out.

The top general said investigators are trying to piece together exactly what happened and what went wrong.